Center for Jewish Living

Rabbi Jason and Chana Leib:

Rabbi Jason Leib is the JLIC co-educator. Jason grew up around Chicago and, after completed his studies at Yeshiva University, immigrated to Israel. After moving to Israel he married Chana. They are the proud parents of six year old Betzalel, four year old Nitai and baby Adva. In Israel, Jason studied at Beit Morasha of Jerusalem, and taught Talmud and Jewish Thought at Yeshivat Hakibbutz HaDati Ein Tzurim. He was also a facilitator of a student Beit Midrash at Ben Gurion University in Be'er Sheva. The most enjoyable aspect of teaching for Jason is the interaction with students both in and out of the classroom. At Cornell, Jason looks forward to forming long lasting relationships with a wide variety of people and creating deep, relevant, meaningful Jewish learning experiences. He loves playing with his children, reading anything, and watching TV. One can't completely ignore his Midwestern blood, so "Bear Down Chicago Bears!"

Chana Leib:

Chana is the JLIC co-educator. Chana was born in Cleveland, OH and moved to Israel with my family as a young child. She earned a degree in Law and Liberal Arts (LLB) from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and has received her Masters in Law (LLM) in a joined program from Tel Aviv University and Northwestern. As a Hillel Educator, Chana looks forward to meeting the students at a formative time in their lives, and hopes to take part in their journey through the college experience. In her free time, Chana enjoys reading books to her three kids: Bitzy, Nitai and Adva.

Nathan Cohen:

Nathan Cohen (Class of 2011, well...let's hope Class of 2011) is the Co-President for the Center for Jewish Living. He is majoring in Near Eastern Studies and recently spent a semester living in Amman, Jordan. There he ate several times his own weight in chickpea products, and is now an internationally renowned falafel connoisseur. He enjoys sitting, standing, yawning and stretching. As to the recent allegations surrounding his conduct on the night of 28 March 1989, he can neither confirm nor deny those rumors, and details shall be forthcoming. He is excited to bring a visionary...um, vision to the Center for Jewish Living and hopes to better your Jewish experience at Cornell!

Nate Schorr:

Lazar Polovoy:

The first word out of Lazar's mouth being "Harvard," his father had no choice but to give him a forceful slap. That set things straight. An avid ping-pong guru, Lazar is always there to yell angrily about the flaws of other drivers, or to ferry students back and forth from the CJL...while yelling angrily about the flaws of other drivers. On his quest for a PhD in "Union Suppression" from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Lazar likes to spend his evenings watching disaster movies, such as "Titanic," "Deep Impact," and "Air Force One" over and over again, thinking to himself, "better them than me." Despite his stern demeanor, Lazar is as kindly inside as he is outside. With no known heart to speak of, he will do well yelling at other drivers...and maybe being house manager. He has but one question: Why can't we all just get along?

Jacob Raskin:

Jacob Raskin '13, of Piedmont, California, can be found frolicking on Libe Slope on occasion because he believes in the healing nature of fresh air. Luckily, Ithaca has plenty of that, year round. Mr. Raskin took a gap year between high school and college, during which he participated on the Nativ College Leadership program in Israel. During his time in Israel, he took courses in liberal studies at the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem during the first semester, and worked as a volunteer at many posts, ranging from zookeeper to emergency room orderly, throughout the city of Be'er Sheva during the second semester. But that was the past. Mr. Raskin will be returning to the arctic tundra...or Ithaca...for his sophomore year, and he will continue to pursue his degree in Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Raskin has been sighted at Teagle Hall in the evenings, practicing water polo with Cornell's club team. He has also been known to grace the Statler, where he grabs lunch on occasion (recommends: stuffed pasta with red sauce or sushi accompanied by Cornell Dairy chocolate milk or apple cider), and has been treated to dinner at Banfi's (recommends: salmon in apple cider reduction, with the Banfi's salad). Mr. Raskin is proud to be a caretaker of The House, and he would be delighted to answer any questions you have about said house, student life, where to eat, where to sleep, and/or what inspired a Californian to commit himself to four years of frostbite and pale skin.

Sam Weiss:

Sam Weiss is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in computer science. He grew up in Sacramento, California. After high school, he spent a year learning in Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi in Jerusalem. Sam enjoys reading, music, and anything to do with technology. Here at the CJL, he takes care of this (amazing) website, recruitment, and makes those great after-shul announcements.

Josh Mitrani:

Hailing from Miami Beach, Florida, Josh has come to embrace the Ithaca winters, although he wouldn't mind a few more snow days. Josh is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Economics and English. For fun, he enjoys lifting weights, reading the New Yorker, and defending the value of a liberal arts arts education. Josh is looking forward to this fall, when he'll be able to enjoy CJL barbecues, NFL football season, and the beginning of the new Miami Heat dynasty.